What is the difference between an Iceberg and Glacier?
The difference between an Iceberg and Glacier is that the iceberg is the piece of a glacier that breaks off of (or calves) when temperatures warm up. Glaciers are made up of a large mass of snow and ice mixture that covers the valley floor of a mountain range.
This is crazy!
Here is a quick video of a Glacier that is calving into Icebergs during the summer months within Alaska’s Inside Passage.
Glaciers capture the imagination of many of the visitors that cruise thorough Alaska’s waters. These massive sheets of ice can take up entire coves, and they crack like thunder when they break apart and float off into the water in a process called calving. Before you embark on a private Alaskan cruise, we thought you would like to know the difference between a glacier and an iceberg.
Glaciers are found in places where more snow falls than melts in a given time. During its lifetime, the lower layers of snow within the glacier change their form, compressing into ice. Contrary to what you might think, Alaskan glaciers were not formed in the last ice age and are on average only about 100 years old.
Icebergs form when these glaciers melt and break apart. These chunks of glacial ice can be immense and foreboding as they float out to sea. We love taking our guests for kayak trips around the icebergs as they float down the Inside Passage. We can also take you on a special glacier viewing, so you can experience their wonder firsthand.
Book your Alaskan cruise today to experience Glaciers and Icebergs firsthand!
